Mitochondrial DNA diversity and population structure of humpback whales from their wintering areas in the Indian and South Atlantic Oceans (Wintering Regions A,B, C and X). Scientific Committee document SC/56/SH3, International Whaling Commission, July 2004, Sorrento, Italy

Humpback whales in the Southern Hemisphere are separated by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) into seven wintering Regions (A-G) based on tropical distribution. To better evaluate the significance of these stock subdivisions, an analysis of mtDNA was conducted for the eastern and western South Atlantic (Regions A and B), the southwestern Indian Ocean (Region C) and the northern Indian Ocean (Region X). A total of 1,416 individual whales representing eleven sampling sites within the four wintering Regions were sequenced for a portion of the mtDNA control region. A hierarchical analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) using FST and FST supported the division of wintering Regions based on IWC designated boundaries of A, B, C, and X. Pairwise comparisons further confirmed the A, B and C divisions, although varying degrees of heterogeneity (particularly molecular distances) were detected for proposed sub-divisions within Regions B and C. Overall, this large-scale mtDNA analysis for humpback whales in the Indian and South Atlantic Oceans supports wintering Region designations by the IWC. However, additional analyses and consideration of biological parameters such as gene flow are needed so that ‘within-region’ genetic analyses can help evaluate population structure and recovery in a management context

Do dental nonmetric traits actually work as proxies for neutral genomic data? Some answers from continental- and global-level analyses

Objectives: Crown and root traits, like those in the Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System (ASUDAS), are seemingly useful as genetic proxies. However, recent studies report mixed results concerning their heritability, and ability to assess variation to the level of genomic data. The aim is to test further if such traits can approximate genetic relatedness, among continental and global samples. Materials and Methods: First, for 12 African populations, Mantel correlations were calculated between mean measure of divergence (MMD) distances from up to 36 ASUDAS traits, and FST distances from >350,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) among matched dental and genetic samples. Second, among 32 global samples, MMD and FST distances were again compared. Correlations were also calculated between them and inter-sample geographic distances to further evaluate correspondence. Results: A close ASUDAS/SNP association, based on MMD and FST correlations, is evident, with rm-values between .72 globally and .84 in Africa. The same is true concerning their association with geographic distances, from .68 for a 36-trait African MMD to .77 for FST globally; one exception is FST and African geographic distances, rm = 0.49. Partial MMD/FST correlations controlling for geographic distances are strong for Africa (.78) and moderate globally (.4). Discussion: Relative to prior studies, MMD/FST correlations imply greater dental and genetic correspondence; for studies allowing direct comparison, the present correlations are markedly stronger. The implication is that ASUDAS traits are reliable proxies for genetic data—a positive conclusion, meaning they can be used with or instead of genomic markers when the latter are unavailable